INSTITUTE STRATEGIST
moting purchase incentives. A year prior,
similar activity supported the launch of the
Galaxy S6 line.
"We have a great relationship with Samsung," a Best Buy spokeswoman told the
Star Tribune. "We're always moving stuff
around in our stores to make a better store
experience, and this is part of that work."
The partners' alliance includes two other
in-store "vendor pads." In some 500 stores,
Best Buy also hosts "Samsung Entertainment Experience" shops to spotlight the
manufacturer's TVs. There, shoppers can
experience a variety of the brand's latest
TVs and home audio products.
The partners periodically drum up excitement for the shops by offering sneak
peeks of upcoming theatrical releases.
Last summer, for example, the shops aired
an exclusive clip of Universal Pictures' "Jurassic World" on Samsung's new SUHD
TVs. Counter signs positioned near the TVs
promised a "firsthand" experience. On the
other side of the store, supporting table
headers in the Samsung Experience Shops
directed shoppers to "visit Samsung's
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y SHOPPER MARKETING SEPTEMBER 2016
SUHD TVs." Earlier that year, Best Buy and
Samsung similarly tied in to Marvel Studios' theatrical release of "Avengers: Age
of Ultron."
A third Samsung shop showcases the
brand's appliances. In place at 200-some
stores, the 20-by-20 foot "Samsung Open
House" shops stock such technologically
advanced appliances as a robot vacuum
cleaner and smart refrigerator.
The appliance shops hinge on an 85inch touchscreen display, dubbed CenterStage, that lets shoppers interact with
Samsung's complete portfolio of home
appliances through life-size photos, videos
and other custom functionalities.
All the shops are part of Best Buy's "Renew Blue" transformation strategy to work
closely with vendor partners to innovate
and update stores with competitive differentiation and a consultative sales force.
The retailer also hosts stores-within-astore experiences - or vendor pads - with
other key partners including Apple, Samsung, Windows, Sony, Verizon, AT&T, and,
SM
most recently, LG.

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